May Day baby Blanket
This is a relatively easy blanket, which I think should be achievable by an advanced beginner. It takes a little practice to get proficient at the crossed doubles, (mostly just figuring out which is the next stitch to skip, since the crossed Dc pulls the stitches that they have been worked into, close together), but once you get it, they are easy. This blanket can be adapted to be a full size afghan or it can be made smaller. See end of pattern for some ideas on how to change the size. Gauge: unimportant I crochet somewhat loosely. My blanket will be about 42 inches square. Materials: WW yarn, (I used 26-28 oz of yarn.) Crochet hook size K Yarn needle for weaving in ends Any yarn will work, just use an appropriately sized hook, size will vary with yarn used. Stitches used: St-stitch ch-chain sc-single crochet dc-double crochet Crossed doubles fpdc-Front post double crochet (instead of working into the top of the dc in the previous row, you work around the post of the stitch from the front of it) bpdc-Back post double crochet (same as above, but you are working the stich from the back of the post of the dc from the previous row) Front and back post stitches form what I call “fake cables” or ridges on the front of your work. I like them because they are an easy way to add some texture and interest to crocheted fabric. Note that all rows will have 120 stitches in them. The afghan is made in one piece. However, I have divided the pattern into sections to make it a little easier to keep track of. Do not end off at the end of a section, keep crocheting onto the next one. The afghan is made as follows: Pattern: Chain 121. Section 1: Row 1: sc in second chain from hook and in each chain across. (120 sc) this is the right side) Row 2: ch 2 (always counts as first dc), dc in each stitch across. Row 3: ch 2, bpdc in each st across until you reach the turning ch, dc into top of turning ch Row 4: ch 2, fpdc in each st across until you reach the turning ch, dc into top of turning ch Row 5: ch 2, dc in each st across, last stitch will be into the top of the turning ch Row 6: Ch 2, \* skip a stitch, dc into the next stitch. Now, working around the stitch you just made, dc into the skipped stitch. (your crochet hook will be in front of the dc you just made)\* (These two stitches made one set of crossed doubles) repeat from \* to \* until you get to the turning chain. Dc into the top of the turning chain. Row 7: Repeat row 2, finishing with a dc in the top of the turning chainrow) Row 8: ch, sc in each st across, finishing with a sc in top of turning ch Row 9. Repeat row 7. (it's a DC row) Row 10: Repeat row 6. (crossed doubles) Row 11 -13: Repeat rows 7 to 9. Row 14: Repeat row 6. (crossed doubles) Row 15: Repeat row 8. (sc row) Row 16: repeat row 2. (double crochet row) Row 17: repeat row 3. (bpdc row) Row 18: repeat row 4 (fpdc row) Row 19: repeat row 8 (sc row) Section 2: Rows 20-32: ch 1, sc in first st, dc in next st, $^{*}\mathrm{sc}$ in next st, dc in next st \* repeat from \* to \* to end of row (end this section with a wrong side row) The rest of the afghan is repeats of the previous sections. Rows 33-51: repeat section 1 Row 52 to 64: repeat section 2 Rows 65-81: repeat section 1 Do not cut yarn. Work a sc border all around the blanket, placing 3 sc into each corner and spacing stitches evenly across the ends of the rows. I try to make the same number of stitches in each end, so that the finished blanket turns out nice and even. I finished with a row of reverse HDC.( $^{*}\mathrm{HDC}$ in a stitch, ch 1, skip a stitch\* and repeat from $^{*}\mathrm{to}^{*}$ )worked all around but from left to right, rather than the usual right to left. This makes a nice rope like border. This blanket can easily be made larger or smaller. Start with an even number of sc in the first row. To make the blanket narrower, you could subtract some rows from section 2, (making sure to end with a wrong side row), or leave out rows 11 to 13 in section 1. This would give you a panel with two rows of crossed doubles in between the fake cables created by the fpdc's and bpdc's. To make it wider, you could either add panels, add more rows to section 2, add some extra rows into one of the panels, or make up additions of your own. I purposely didn't add any very lacy stitches, because I wanted the finished product to be suitable for either a boys or a girls blanket. Pattern is untested, except by myself. Please let me know if something is unclear, or you find a mistake. You may sell one or two items made from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or publish it anywhere else. Please link to the pattern if you post a picture elsewhere.
